THE VICTORY….HEART OF ‘OLD’ BLACKHEATH The Victory Theatre opened in 1921 as The Arcadia. Locals even enjoyed an early form of 3D. It is now a vast antiques centre. The bear (Editor Des) is not for sale, though sometimes I am sorely tempted

Sydney born Harley Cohen was one of the first to enlist in WWI. His service number in the 4th Battalion was a very low 37. He was a slight figure, only 5′ 3″ tall and weighing in at a shade over 8 stone. He was university

BLUE MOUNTAINS TWITCHER Introducing myself…Editor Des. After a bit of training I’m now a master bird watcher in the beautiful Blue Mountains. I was originally banned from this pursuit by my guardian Pauline Conolly, because I kept chattering and scaring Mr Satin Bowerbird. For heaven’s sake,

GODFATHER OF A MILLION CHILDREN These days Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt is best remembered for the mysterious circumstances of his death by drowning in 1967, at Victoria’s Portsea. However, in Robert Menzies’ government during WWII he served as Minister for Labour, and was responsible for

Hello, Editor Des here. Well I like visiting medical museums. In fact, I quite fancy myself as a doctor. Last year I performed a little operation on my neighbor Fred, after he carelessly lost a second leg. It was reasonably successful. These museums can be

One historical event I really wish I could have attended is London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. Those inventive, enthusiastic Victorians put on a display that dazzled the world. It was housed in a building so innovative it scarcely seemed real; the remarkable Crystal Palace. Of course eventually

I rather like misty days, they remind me of cool flannels being placed on fevered brows. Our property adjoins the Blue Mountains’ National Park and sometimes bushwalkers become disoriented, blundering into my garden. I point them in the direction of Govett’s Leap, with a gentle warning to

When Horatia Nelson Ward died at Pinner near London in March 1881, a brief notice in the local paper recorded her as ‘Widow of the late Rev. Philip Ward, Vicar of Tenterden, Kent, in her 81st year.’ However, an article in the Times several days later referred

Introducing Mr Satin bowerbird outside his Blue Mountains home at; No. 1 Memorial Park BLACKHEATH 2785 This is a very well located, private property only a two minute walk to the village (twenty seconds in full flight).

COMMUTER COMPLAINTS We Blue Mountains residents have long complained about our trains, The following was taken from The Daily Telegraph in May 1928; The trains of New South Wales are notoriously dirty and slow, and a great deal of the inefficiency and neglect of the Railway Commissioners